Senior Lawyer

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Job Description

The Service & Team:

Cornwall Council is a large and ambitious Unitary Authority, supported by an experienced and welcoming Legal & Governance Service that has a crucial role in providing specialist legal advice to all sectors of the Council. We are a friendly, supportive and dynamic team, committed to securing positive outcomes for some of the most vulnerable in our communities, working alongside our dedicated Adult Social Care Service.

The Role:

This is an exciting opening for the right person to join our specialist, small but busy Adult Social Care Team on a permanent basis, as a Senior Lawyer. You'll have a varied caseload, and each day will bring new challenges. You'll be working alongside great colleagues and there'll be mutual support. We're keen on developing the Team through sharing experience, knowledge and expertise.

While the core workload relates to Court of Protection welfare cases and S.21A Mental Capacity Act DoLS challenges, you will have many opportunities to be supported to develop your expertise in other areas including mental health, inquests, judicial review and various Care Act duties such as charging, ordinary residence and safeguarding.

This position will be subject to a standard criminal record disclosure check.

Working Pattern:

This is a full-time, 37 hours a week, permanent role. Consideration will be given to less than 37 hours a week but given the work of the team we want to recruit at as close to 37 hours as possible.

What you'll need to succeed:

You'll be qualified as a solicitor, barrister, FCILEx or have significant relevant experience in the types of work within the remit of the team.

Some remote working will be possible, but with office-based working as required. Your main office location will be New County Hall, Truro. We're happy to discuss what works for you - but it needs to work for us too.

You'll have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to work under pressure and to strict timescales. The nature of the work we do requires you to be adaptable, flexible and ready to work collaboratively as part of an experienced team of specialist colleagues, giving advice on all aspects of Court of Protection and Deprivation of Liberty matters, mental capacity, mental health, and the Care Act including safeguarding. There'll be the opportunity to develop your advocacy skills in a range of Courts and Tribunals and at a variety of hearings. We also want you to be enthusiastic about learning new skills and new areas connected to this area of work.

Don't worry if you don't have local government experience as we'll give you the support you need to develop and learn that area.

The role profile provides more detail about this position as well as what your application will need to include to demonstrate how you meet the required criteria. Please ensure you address all of the knowledge, skills and experience identified in the role profile within your CV and personal statement.

Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert

What you'll get in return:

Cornwall Council's ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

• a competitive salary
• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings, including the option for extra voluntary contributions
• a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave
• a national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme
• employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.

Additional Information:

The full role profile is attached here

For more information or an informal chat about the role please contact Sara Eathorne on 01872 322222

Application Process

Please attach a supporting statement to your application, you can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as 'Application' on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here - The application process.

Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact careers@cornwall.gov.uk if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.

About Us

Cornwall Council deliver services to more than half a million local people and over five million visitors a year. Working here - Cornwall Council

We are happy to talk about flexible working options such as part-time or compressed hours. More examples of our flexible working opportunities can be found here - flexible working options.

Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall. In order to best serve our communities, we are striving to achieve a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities; e.g., race, disability, sex, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation. We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.

Cornwall Council is committed to safeguarding and following safer recruitment principles to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, young people and adults at risk. It's a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping all service users safe from harm.